The Call of the Wild.
The story begins in 1897, at the start of the Klondike gold rush. The discovery of
gold in the Klondike—a region in northwestern Canada's Yukon Territory—prompted thousands of gold-
seekers to head for the far north, all of them desperately in need of dogs to pull sleds across the harsh
arctic trails. Buck, a large dog who has enjoyed a leisurely life on a California ranch, is stolen and
shipped to the Yukon. Buck learns to survive in this cruel environment; he begins to discover the
primitive instincts of his ancestors, and in time he responds to the call of the wild. A gripping, fast-paced
tale of adventure,
The Call of the Wild
focuses on Buck, a pampered sheepdog stolen from a California
ranch and transported to the arctic. Buck's struggle to survive on the arctic trail demonstrates the
precarious nature of life in the wild. Although
The Call of the Wild
is an engaging animal story, the reader
cannot help but draw parallels between Buck's experience and that of humans. The book suggests that
environment shapes character, and emphasizes that primitive instincts—often hidden beneath a veneer of
civilization—are never lost to the individual. Providing a fascinating glimpse of a way of life that has
almost vanished,
The Call of the Wild
suggests that creatures survive best when they adapt to the natural
world, rather than trying to impose change on their environment.
The Call of the Wild
exemplifies the
features of a turn-of-the-century movement known as literary naturalism: the story is presented
realistically and directly, and dramatizes the force of environment in shaping character.
The Call of the
Wild
is widely acclaimed as London's best work of fiction. The author's firm control of the plot and
focused point of view give the story its remarkable coherence. London's diction is unusually rich, full of
complex and mellifluous words. His style is lean and vigorous, and grows increasingly resonant with
mystical overtones near the end of the book. An often-cited literary precedent to
The Call of the Wild
is
Frank Norris's 1899 novel
McTeague.
Norris's work traces the downfall of a San Francisco dentist who
inevitably destroys himself and those around him when his alcoholism and violent tendencies erupt. Like
Norris, London explores the hidden character traits, triggered by interaction with one's environment, that
determine an individual's fate. Many readers have found allegories for human experience in Buck's
struggles. Some see
The Call of the Wild
as a fable of sorts, for, like Aesop's fables, the novel tells the
story of an animal who triumphs through strength and cunning. Other readers, like critic Earle Labor,
describe Buck as a mythic hero who sets out on a perilous adventure, journeys to a mysterious, faraway
place, and is thoroughly transformed.
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